Permutation ignition switch



Dec. 14, 1948. G. F. MILLER PRMUTATION IGNITION SWITCHV 2 Sheets-Shea?I 1 Filed Oct. 25, 1946 INVENTOR. uszaz/ Mf//cr BY my DCC- 14, 1948- G. F. MILLER 2,456,010

PERMUTATION IGNITION SWI'ICH Filed Oct. 25, 1 946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 "l ll'asflm/ E M//cr Patented Dec. 14, 1ste UNITED vSTATES PATENT oFFlcE PERMUTATION IGNITION SWITCH Gustav F. Miller, Tacoma, Wash.

Application October 25, 1946, Serial No. 705,753

Claims. (Cl. 20o-43) This invention relates to switch devices, and more particularly to a switch device adapted for use as an automobile ignition switch or the like.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved switch of the combination type, said switch requiring no key for its operation but being inoperable by any person without knowledge of the proper combination therefor.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved rotary switch of the combination type, said switch being very simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and being especially adapted for use as the ignition switch of an automobile yet requiring no key for the operation thereof.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a iront elevational view of a combination switch device according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the switch device of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical cross-sectional View taken on line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic sketch showing the steps in the movement of the first brush-carrying rotary arm during the closure of the switch device illustrated in Figures 1 to 5.

Figure '7 is a sketch similar to Figure 6 but illustrating the steps in the movement of the second brush-carrying rotary arm during the process of closure of the switch device of Figures 1 to 5.

Figure 8 is a sketch similar to Figure 6 but illustrating the movement of the third lbrush-carrying arm during the process of closing the switch device of Figures 1 to 5.

Figure 9 is a sketch showing the movements of the second brush-carrying arm in a modified form of the switch device.

Figure 10 is a sketch showing the movements of the first and third brush-carrying arms in the modified form of the switch device.

Referring to the drawings, I I designates a cylindrical housing of insulating material. Rotatably supported in housing I I by bushings I2 and I3 is an axially extending shaft I4. Secured to the forward end of shaft I4 outside the housing is a calibrated dial I5. Secured to housing II adjacent the periphery of dial I5 is a fixed pointer I5.

Secured to shaft I4 inside housing I I and adjacent its front end wall is a collar I1. Freely rotatable on shaft I4 rearwardly adjacent collar I1 is an arm I8 of insulating material. Arml I8 is formed with a radial recess I9 in which is slidably postioned a conductive brush member 20 biased outwardly from recess I9 by a coiled spring 2l contained in the recess, said brush member bearing on the inner wall surface of housing II. Secured to shaft I4 rearwardly adjacent arm I0 is a collar 22 carrying a pair of radial arms 23 and 2d. Arms 23- and 24 are provided with respective forwardly directed end lugs 25 and 25 adapted to drivingly engage arm I 8 responsive to rotation of shaft I4. As shown in Figure 3, radial arms 23 and 24 are separated by a relatively small angle of about degrees which does not include arm I8, and by a relatively large angle of about 270 degrees which does include arm I. Freely rotatable on shaft I4 rearwardly adjacent collar 22 is a second arm 21 similar to arm I3 and containing an outwardly biased brush member 2S which bears on the inside surface of housing I i. Secured to shaft I4 rearwardly adjacent arm 2i is a collar 29 carrying radial arms 3u and 3 I, the radial arms having respective forwardly extending end lugs v32 and 33 vadapted to drivingly engage arm 2l responsive to rotation of shaft, Id. As shown in Figure 4, radial arms 3@ and 3l are separated by an angle of about degrees which includes arm 21. Freely rotatable on shaft Iii rearwardly adjacent collar 29 is a third arm 34 similar to arm It] and containing an outwardly biased brush member 35 which bears on the inside surface of housing I I. Secured to shaft ifi rearwardly adjacent arm 34 is a collar 36 carrying radial arms t? and 33, the radial arms having respective forwardly extending end lugs 30 and 40 adapted to drivingly engage arm 34 responsive to rotation of shaft ifi. As shown in Figure 5, radial arms 31 and 323 are separated by a relatively small angle of about 90 degrees which includes arm 34.

It is to be noted, therefore, that arm I8 is included in a relatively large angle separating radial arms 23 and 24, arm 21 is included in a smaller angle separating radial arms 30 and 3I and arm 34 is included in a still smaller angle separating radial arms 31 and 38.

Secured in the wall of housing II adjacent its forward end is a terminal stud 40 having an inner head portion 4I adapted to be engaged at times by brush 20. Longitudinally aligned with head portion 4I and carried in the inside wall surface of housing II is a contact plate 42 whose forward end is engaged by brush 20 as said brush engages eficacia head portion iii. The rearward end of plate di? is adapted to be engaged by brush Ztl. Longitudinally aligned with plate i2 is a similar plate 43 extending rearwardly from the transverse plane of brush 2d. Brush 2t is adapted to engage the forward end of plate lil at the same time as it engages the rearward end of plate t2. Longitudinally aligned with plate i3 is a terminal stud 44 carried in the wall of housing ii and having a head portion fit adapted to be engaged by brush 35 at the same time as brush Sii engages the rearward end of plate li. It is thus seen that when brush members Ztl, 23 and 35 are all aligned in the same radial plane which contains the stud members di@ and dll, said brush members establish a conductive path including plate members 42 and i3' between the stud members.

Dished recesses 4t are formed in the inside wall surface of housing ii at the bridging positions ofthe brush members so that the brush members may be positively seated in bridging relationship to their contacts.

As shown in the drawings by way of example, the three brushes are in bridging positions when the dial i5 is set at zero. Assuming that the dial is initially set at some other value, say 50, and the bushes @M28 and 3b are in open circuit positions with respect to their contacts, Figure 6 shows the movements required to place brush t in contact-bridging position. Dial i is rotated a full turn plus three-quarters of a turn clockwise, whereby arm 23 pushes arm la into the contact-bridging position for brush @il This is shown in the sketch A of Figure 6. Sketch A oi Figure '1 shows the position of arm 2l and sketch A of Figure 8 shows the position of arm 34 at this time. Dial i5 is then turned one half turn counter-clockwise. rihis moves arm 21 into contact-bridging position for brush 28, as shown in sketch B of Figure 7. Arm I8 remains in contact-bridging position, as shown in sketch B of Figure 6. Dial i5 is then turned one-quarter turn clockwise to zero. This moves arm 34 into contact bridging position for brush 35, as shown in sketch C of Figure 8. Arms I 8 and 21 meanwhile remain in contact-bridging positions, as shown in the respective sketches "C of Figures 6 and 7. Brushes 2, 28 and 35 are now in contact-bridging positions and the switch is closed.

An infinite number of combinations may be had by using different angular spacings between the radial arms, the prime requisite being that the first rotary arm i8 be driven by the radial arms having the greatest angular spacing (which includes the rotary arm), the second rotary arm 21 be driven by the radial arms having the next lesser angular spacing, and that the third rotary arm 34 be driven by the radial arms having the least angular spacing. The principle may be extended to employ more than three rotary arms and radial pairs of driving arms therefor if so desired.

In a modified form of the invention, collars 22 and 36 are combined, and the radial arms 23 and 24, having the largest including angle, and the radial arms 31 and 38, having the smallest including angle, are carried on the same collar. The respective lugs carried by the radial arm pairs extend in opposed directions and the driven rotary arms are oppositely adjacent said collar.

The cycle of operations to close the switch is the and the movements of the parts are illustrated the movement of rotary arm Z'i is of course identical with Figure "i, since the second collar 29 is unchanged. Figure 10 illustrates the movements of driven rotary arms i3 and 34 under the same cyclical sequence of operations as occurs in Figures 6 and 8. As shownin Figures 9 and 10, the rotary arms 2l, I8 and 34 are moved into circuit closing positions by the same sequence of operations as is employed in Figures 6, '7 and 8.

The final dial setting may have, of course, any other numerical value than zero, the zero value having been arbitrarily chosen in the present description. The other dial combination settings will be in accordance with the required angular rotations to establish the closed circuit positions of the driven rotary arms.

While certain specific embodiments of a combination switch useful as an automobile ignition switch and for other purposes have been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention other than as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A switch device comprising a housing, a shaft iournalled in said housing, a, pair of brush members, each brush member being freely rotatable on said shaft, a rst pair of angularly spaced driving arms engageable with one of the brush members, a second pair of angularly spaced driving arms engageable with the other brush member, the driving arms being rigidly secured to said shaft and the angular spacing of the nrst pair of arms being different from that of the angular spacing of the second pair of arms, and longitudinally aligned contact means carried inside said housing cooperating with the brush members.

2. A switch device comprising a housing, a shaft journalled in said housing, a first brush member freely rotatable on said shaft in said housing, a first pair of angularly spaced driving arms for said first brush member rigidly secured to said shaft, a second brush member freely rotatable on said shaft in said housing, a second pair of angularly spaced vdriving arms for said second brush member rigidly secured to said shaft, a third brush member freely rotatable on said shaft in said housing, a third pair of angularly spaced driving arms for said third brush member rigidly secured to said shaft, the angular spacing of said first pair being greater than that of said second pair and the angular spacing of said second pair being greater than that of said third pair, and longitudinally aligned contact elements carried inside said housing, said contact elements defining three gaps adapted to be bridged by the respective brush members when said brush members are in longitudinal alignment with the contact elements.

3. A switch. device comprising a cylindrical housing, a shaft concentrically iournaled in said housing, a first brush-carrying arm freely rotatable on said shaft in said housing, a brush supported by said arm in contact with the inner surface of said housing, a f'lrst collar secured to said shaft, a pair of angularly-spaced arms carried by said first collar arrangedl to drivingly engage said rst brush-carrying arm responsive to rotation of said shaft, a. second brush-carrying arm freely rotatable on said shaft in said housing, a brush supported by said second brush-carrying in Figures 9 and 10. Figure 9, which illustrates 75 arm in contact with the inner surface of said housing, a second collar secured to said shaft, a pair of arigularly-spaced arms carried by said second collar arranged to drivingly engage said second brush-carrying arm responsive to rotation y of said shaft, the angular separations of said two pairs of collar-carried arms being different, and contact means carried inside said housing engageable by said brushes to complete an electrical circuit through said switch.

4. A combination switch comprising a, cylindrical housing, a shaft concentrically journaled in said housing, a first brush-carrying arm rotatable on said shaft, a brush supported on said arm in contact with the inner surface of said housing, a pair of radial arms secured to said shaft adjacent said first brush-carrying arm, means on said flrst pair of radial arms adapted to drivingly engage said first brush-carrying arm responsive to rota tion of said shaft, a second brush-carrying arm freely rotatable on saidshaft, a brush carried by said second arm in contact with the inner surface of said housing. a second pair of radial arms secured to said shaft adjacent said second brushcarrying arm, means on said second pair of radial arms adapted to drivingly engage said second brush-carrying arm responsive to rotation of said shaft, a third brush-carrying arm freely rotatable on said shaft, a brush carried by said third arm in contact with the inner surface of said housing,

an electrical connection between said terminals. 40

5. A switch device comprising a cylindrical housing, a shaft concentrically journaled in said housing, a nrst brush-carrying arm freely rota table on said shaft, a brush carried by said arm contacting the inner surface of said housing, a el 2,023,894

6 first pair of angularly-spaced driving arms for said first brush-carrying arm rigidly secured to said shaft, a second brush-carrying arm freely rotatable cn said shaft, a brush carried by said second arm contacting the inner surface of said housing, a second pair of angularly-spaced driving arms for said second brush member rigidly secured to said shaft, a third brush member freely rotatable on said shaft, a brush carried by said third brush-carrying arm contacting the inner surface of said housing, a third pair of angularlyspaced driving arms for said third brush-carrying arm rigidly secured to said shaft, the angular space between said first pair of driving arms including said first brush-carrying arm being greater than the corresponding angular space between said second pair of driving arms and the angular space between said second pair of driving arms including said second brush-carrying arm being greater than the corresponding space between said third pair of driving arms, whereby said first, second and third brush-carrying arms are successively brought to predetermined position within said housing, axially aligned contact members carried by said housing and engageable by said brushes to complete an electrical circuit through said switch when said brushes are in a predetermined position in said housing, and a graduated dial fixed on one end of said shaft for rotating said shaft.

GUBTAV F. MILLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 966,286 Wright Aug. 2, 1910 1,185,690 Lawrence June 6, 1916 1,316,306 Kirscht et al. Sept. 16, 1919 1,340,230 Jones May 16, 1920 1,555,151 Parsell Bept. 29,1925

Leinenweber Dec. 10, 1935 

